


Learning

by Joanne_c



Category: Torchwood RPF
Genre: M/M, RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-25
Updated: 2008-12-25
Packaged: 2019-06-14 00:16:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15376527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joanne_c/pseuds/Joanne_c
Summary: When Gareth starts work on Torchwood he's not gay. This changes, to an extent.





	Learning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skripka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skripka/gifts).



> Note from diana, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Pretty Lights](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Pretty_lights), which closed for financial reasons. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Pretty Lights collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/prettylights/profile).

It started with a kiss.   
  
Gareth would shake his head when he thought that, but it really did. That pseudo CPR kiss... if not for that he might not be here right now.   
  
It wasn't that he hadn't had offers from men before. Russell had made several offers that just the right word could have turned into a serious proposition, but Gareth had kept back, Russell had a partner and he wasn't gay. It had seemed that simple.   
  
Until, of course, Gareth had met John Barrowman. Good looking enough to make even the most committed heterosexual think twice. Well, at least that's what Burn said, and if there was a committed heterosexual around, Burn was probably it. Not that Gareth knew, exactly, just that he'd said...   
  
And Gareth's job was to kiss John on, if not a regular basis, enough to know that it was something he liked. Oh he hadn't thought that the first time. He'd been strictly professional, and so had John. Actually, John was always professional when they were working. Sure there was a lot of flirting during rehearsals and exaggerated fun with the kisses but once it got to a serious take they were completely in character.   
  
It was after work, when Gareth was alone, in his trailer or later at night, in his bed, that he wondered what it would be like to let the kisses continue. To feel John's lips on his neck, or moving down his body. John's mouth on his cock...   
  
But it was something that would have to be reserved for dreams and fantasies - John had a partner, a husband, and he'd been devoted to Scott for so long, Gareth couldn't come between them if he wanted to. And he didn't. Not really. It was more that Gareth wished he'd met John first, or that it was possible for him to have John without hurting Scott. He didn't really know, exactly.   
  
Gareth tried. He hooked up with the first girl he met who returned his interest - he'd even tried with Eve, who had a partner of her own, and Naoko, who he had realised was a great friend but not more. Then he'd met Sarah. Lovely, sweet, Sarah, who had been a wild, exciting lover, willing to explore all kinds of things. She'd fucked him with a strap-on and he'd wondered if that was enough.   
  
Sarah had been the one to know it wasn't enough first, though. Gareth apparently had a tendency to talk in his sleep. So things ended, quietly, and they went their separate ways. At least the break up gave Gareth time to gather his thoughts.   
  
He wasn't in love with John. That had been a relief - he had wondered. But no, it wasn't John. It was the idea of a guy. And it could still be curiosity. Gareth just didn't know.   
  
More time to think came with the break in filming, and the show turning into a phenomenon, at least on a mild level. Gareth had come to the conclusion that he was curious and he wasn't about to go out and see if it was more than curiosity with reporters watching most moves he made. So with John out as an option, and Burn and Kai being straight as arrows, Gareth decided that he would have to put the curiosity aside.   
  
They came back to work, and there was all the buzz of James Marsters appearing. Gareth had never been a great fan of Buffy, though he'd known some things about it by cultural osmosis, and all he could remember about James was the bleached blonde hair, which he had thought didn't suit the man at all.   
  
So when the attractive dark-haired man had walked into the meeting, Gareth had felt that pull again, not realising who he was. Gareth nodded and smiled when he was introduced to James, and grinned as he was called "Eye candy," by the man in rehearsal. Again he felt the spark, but he wasn't sure enough about any of it to be sure it was more than a spark.   
  
Dinner and drinks one night, Scott and John affectionate, Burn and his Sarah enjoying the freedom of a babysitter, and Gareth and James were the two single guys, who were kind of pushed into talking together. Not that it wasn't enjoyable - and a little frustrating for Gareth. He knew he was interested, but how to find out if James was?   
  
It turned out that he didn't need to ask, James' offer to walk him home - down two flights of stairs - from John's led to James looking into Gareth's eyes and asking if he was imagining the way Gareth was looking at him, with a diffident attitude, trying to make it easy for Gareth to get out of it if he wanted to.   
  
Only Gareth didn't want to. So he shook his head. "Not imagining." And he waited.   
  
It was three seconds, maybe, before Gareth was being pinned against the wall outside his flat and being thoroughly and completely kissed. The feel of James' arms around him and his lips exploring Gareth's were more than enough to know.   
  
"You're coming in," Gareth said, softly, when James drew back to make sure he was okay. "And you're going to show me what it's like with a man. I haven't. But I want to. With you." He hoped James could tell it wasn't just curiosity, that this was something Gareth wanted because it was James.   
  
"Open the door," James answered. "Or I'll have you hard and begging to come out here," he grinned.   
  
It was another three seconds, maybe, before the door was closed, and Gareth wasn't sure what to do. But James was. And James showed him, with soft touches, gentle whispers, stroking hands and gentle preparation, everything Gareth needed it seemed like James thought of.   
  
And Gareth learned too, learned the feel of James' skin under his fingers and lips, the feel of James' cock in his hands, how it felt when a man's cock pulsed before coating Gareth's hands with come. James had licked it off, and Gareth had come from that, with only a few touches to his cock.   
  
They hadn't fucked the first night. Gareth had wondered why, but James had said that unless Gareth wanted him to, he wasn't going anywhere, and Gareth had widened his eyes, a little unsure, until he'd nodded, knowing that whatever was happening here would happen at its own pace.   
  
And it had, grown and deepened over the months, over many late night phone calls and visits when either had enough time off to make it worth the flights. It wasn't marriage, not yet, but it was just them, and James' kids were starting to think of Gareth as family and James had met Gareth's mum and dad. They were a couple, and Gareth was good with that. He'd make all the other decisions needed as they came up.   
  
One thing James had taught him, and even John, was that if he waited, things would fall into place. Gareth was happy. The rest could wait. 


End file.
